Cultivating Success: Unveiling the Influence of Higher Education Strategies on Information Technology Governance, Academic Excellence, and Career Prospects in Saudi Arabia

The successful implementation of effective data governance in universities is crucial in complementing the massive information technology (IT) developments in higher education institutions globally. Hence, to identify the enablers of IT governance, this study examined the effects of knowledge value, knowledge-oriented culture, and knowledge-sharing process on the integration of IT governance in the curriculum and the latter's effects on academic performance and perceived employability among university students in Saudi Arabia. We used a cross-sectional approach to collect quantitative data from 280 university students and employed structural equation modelling and partial least squares to conduct the data analysis. Our results confirmed the significant positive effects of knowledge value and the knowledge-sharing process on IT governance, along with a positive significant effect of IT governance on academic performance and perceived employment. Moreover, the results revealed a direct, positive, and significant effect of academic performance on perceived employment, as well as the significant mediating effects of IT governance and academic performance between these two. Apart from extending the relevant literature, this study offers several policy implications.